Father & The Figtree

In the 19 Varieties of Gazelle the writer’s Father is presented in the poem “My Father and The figtree.” This poem expresses a lot of information about the father’s personality and how important the figtree is to him. Nye, the writer and narrator, states how her father always found a way to mention the figtree in all his folktales he use to recite to her. For example, Nye states, “Even when it didn’t fit, he’d stick it in.” referring to her father’s obsession with mentioning the fig tree. In this poem it is obvious that the figtree holds much importance to the Father.

            In the text, the figtree is a symbol that represents the Father’s Arabic culture, childhood, and innocence. The father had shown a certain dedication to the figtree because of what it represented to him. But there was never a real figtree, for example, Nye states, “Years passed, we lived in many houses none had figtrees.” Which brings up the question, if figtrees were so significant to the Narrator’s father, then why he never planted one?

            In my opinion, the Father never wanted to plant a figtree but it was a huge symbol for generosity of the world. For instance, After Nye’s father chanted a song to her she states, “It’s a figtree song! He said, plucking his fruits like ripe tokens, emblems, assurance of a world that was always his own.” Nye’s Father symbolized the figtree as a gift that was naturally given to him.

The poem “The Father and the Figtree,” was presented to show a significant symbol and to shows the father’s dedication to his home and his culture. The father comes off as nostalgic, and he uses the figtree to remember his childhood. The father always found a way to mention the figtree because of its importance to him and his family’s culture.